


I Shall Not Feel The Rain

by bubblegumbarricadeboy (lucifer_sweet_lucifer)



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: And a Hug, Mentions of Death, Near Death Experience, Panic Attacks, SO SORRY, Yikes, i havent written anything in years, kind of, poor kid, traditional 1000 word one-shot, wirt needs help, wirt struggles to process his experience in the unknown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 21:12:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7773568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucifer_sweet_lucifer/pseuds/bubblegumbarricadeboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Wirt digs his palms into the ground, pieces of dirt grinding into his hands, the filthy cement driving bits of soil and broken glass under his fingernails as he pushes hard against the pavement, trembling as his hiccupping cries fill the quiet evening."</p>
<p>Wirt struggles to cope with his experiences in the Unknown after a period of numbness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Shall Not Feel The Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this is my first time writing in about two years. I decided to stick with the old-fashioned 1000-word oneshot with no editing (probably a total mistake). I feel like the way Wirt handled his situation when he came to in the hospital was likely a part of shock, and I wanted to write him cracking as he processes the events in the Unknown.
> 
> Title from Christina Rossetti's "Song"
> 
> Leave comments so I know what you think - and if you want more?

“Hey, Wirt!” someone calls out from around the stairs to the front of the high school, causing the boy to halt in his tracks.

“Oh, hey, um, hey Kathleen,” Wirt said as he approached the blonde.

“Soooo, we were all going to hang out today, like in 15 minutes? Y’know, doing stuff and going places. Wanna come with?”

Wirt shifts his bag, playing with the little strap that hung down below the clasp. “Um, yeah, okay,” he replies, dropping the strap and looking up at his friend. Were they friends?

“Greeaaattt,” Kathleen draws out, perking up and spinning on her heel to walk to the other direction. “Come on, then! It’s like, in 5 minutes, I guess, or whatever.”

“Wait! Who’s even going to be there?” Wirt stumbled to follow after her, peering at her from the side.

“Oh, you know, Rhondi, Jason, Carol, Sara…” Kathleen trails off, looking straight at Wirt as she says Sara’s name. Wirt blushes and looks away as quickly as he can, doing nothing to help his situation and just making the girl laugh. “I’m just messing with you. But seriously, like, it’s not even that big of a deal. You just really like her, it’s cute. Oh hey!” Wirt looks back up to see the rest of the teenagers waiting for Kathleen all waving and calling out various hellos to the both of them.

“Oh, hey, Wirt! Are you coming with us?” Sara says, leaning on the railing along the school. She smiles at Wirt, and he coughs awkwardly and looks away.

“Um, uh, yeah, if that’s okay. I mean - I’m sure it’s fine since Kathleen offered, but I don’t really want to be a burden, oh, who am I kidding of course I want to come,” Wirt trails off quietly, wincing at what he’s sure will be laughs from all the cool kids.

“Oh, no, yeah, of course you’re welcome. Let’s go, I wanna get out of here,” Sara replies, prompting everyone else to grab their backpacks and get up from their various seats or positions. They started walking, surrounding Wirt on all sides, chatting away as they wandered down the sidewalk. He runs the pad of his index finger over his palm, up his fingers, to the tips and back down again. The group turns around the corner, putting more distance between them in the school. Wirt lets his mind wander as the group passes the old graveyard, slowly trailing behind his friends _\- the wind swirls around in ribbons of cold, crisp air with the hint of what used to be warmth, twirling and wrapping through the branches and through hair and the world is closing in and getting darker as snowflakes settle on cold cold skin, too cold to melt them and they cling to skin and branches grow and come closer and closer and they’re in hair and piercing skin and it’s too cold too cold so cold -_ a car horn blares, Wirt snaps his head up in time to see headlights swerve away from him.

“Oh my god! Are you okay?”

“Wirt! Holy shit! What happened?”

“What the hell, are you alright?”

“Wirt!”

“Wirt!”

“Wirt!”

The boy stands, frozen in place in the middle of the road, going limp as his friends pull him to the sidewalk. He runs his finger over his other hand, up and down, around and in circles.

“Oh, um, yeah, I’m fine. I guess I just spaced out.” Wirt shrugs, calm and quiet. “Um, if it’s okay, I think I’m actually just going to go home now.”

“No, yeah, that’s actually a good idea. Be safe, okay? We’ll see you on Monday,” Rhondi nods

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want you to go to the hospital again,” Jason Funderberker croaks awkwardly. Sara elbowed him sharply as Wirt nods and waves goodbye.

“Um, thanks, Funderberker,” Wirt replies, turning away.

Sara’s friends turn around and begin to walk away, whispering about how they worried for the boy, but Sara stays still, watching as Wirt walks away, shoulders hunched and steps slow.

 

 

Wirt walks away from his friends, panic setting in as his breath quickens and his pace grows, steps lengthening as his heart pounds heavy in his ears. _He almost died, he almost died again. But what would even happen? Would he be back in the Unknown? No, that wouldn’t make any sense. But maybe it did? Is a part of him still there, left in the cold trees and warm fires, the Edlewoods looming above the leaf-covered paths as a little piece of him and his brother wander aimlessly through the woods?_ Wirt shakes his head out of this malevolent reverie, feet pounding on the pavement as he runs down the empty sidewalk.

Finger running over the back of his hand, Wirt runs through the streets as the sun begins to set. As he runs out of breath, sides aching and ears throbbing, the boy slows until he comes to a stop in an empty alleyway. Wirt slams his back against the brick wall, shoulders flinching at the hollow thump that resounds in the stillness. He slides down to the ground, sweater catching on the rough edges of the bricks as his bag falls to his side. Panicked tears begin to fall from his eyes, sobs retching painfully from his body, raw and aching as he shivers violently on the ground.

_I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive_ his mind repeats, frenzied in its fascination. Wirt digs his palms into the ground, pieces of dirt grinding into his hands, the filthy cement driving bits of soil and broken glass under his fingernails as he pushes hard against the pavement, trembling as his hiccupping cries fill the quiet evening. _He almost died – Greg almost died and it was all his fault, all his fault. If he hadn’t been a bad brother – if he hadn’t always been so mean, none of this would have ever happened._

He continues to sob, chest heaving, knowing no one will ever hear.


End file.
